Researchers at the University of Haifa and Rambam Hospital in Israel have identified handwriting as a possible non-invasive means of diagnosing early-stage Parkinson’s disease. By comparing the handwriting of 40 sick and healthy study subjects, researchers were able to substantiate patients’ assertions that they often felt a shift in their cognitive abilities before seeing changes in their motor skills. The handwriting test used a pen with pressure-sensitive sensors and paper placed on an electronic tablet. The analysis assessed writing form, time required and the pressure placed on the surface as the subjects wrote. Parkinson’s patients often held their pens in the air longer between jotting each letter and each word. “This finding is particularly important because while the patient holds the pen in the air, his mind is planning his next action in the writing process, and the need for more time reflects the subject’s reduced cognitive ability. Changes in handwriting can occur years before a clinical diagnosis and therefore can be an early signal of the approaching disease,” said one of the study’s investigators. Click here to read the full story.